Steve Williams - essential, equal partner or gravy train-riding leech?

Just been listening, while driving, to Steve Williams' drivel in an interview he's been giving re. being dumped by Mr. T. Woods. To paraphrase Mr. Ashley Cole, I nearly crashed the car when I heard some of what he was saying.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/golf/14237031.stm

Now, I'm not the biggest TW fan, never have been and never will be, but whatever else I might say about him when he was in his prime he was an awesome golfer. Williams seems to be mightily aggrieved about losing his bag (awww, diddums) but to go off on how he's "wasted two years of his life", how he just "took it on the chin and didn't want to make a fuss when he first heard" (what a good 'ol, fair dinkum Kiwi he is) and whatever other gumpf is extraordinary.

I'm sorry Stevie, but you've been more than amply rewarded for carrying the bag of an exceptional golfer during the prime of his career. I submit to you, that you were, at best, an insignificant part of the golfing machine that was Tiger Woods during that period. You have profited immensely from being lucky enough to have his bag. Shut up for once and accept how fortunate you've been.

I can understand how he feels, most people would be angry. But he contradicts himself when he said he understands the nature of the job. and how its no guarantee. I don't get what he means by the timing? Maybe he thinks he should have at least got the rewards of sticking by Tiger.

KeizoYamata wrote:Maybe he thinks he should have at least got the rewards of sticking by Tiger.

I suggest he's had plenty of reward. What does he want? A dog biscuit?

Just seen this on the twittersphere ...

Steve Williams to TVNZ: "I’ve lost a tremendous amount of respect for [Woods]. Through time, I hope that he can gain my respect back."

What a pompous jerk!

navyblueshorts wrote:

KeizoYamata wrote:Maybe he thinks he should have at least got the rewards of sticking by Tiger.

I suggest he's had plenty of reward. What does he want? A dog biscuit?

Well he did have plenty of reward and I did not like the 'wasted 2 years of his life' remark. However, no one would rejection in a good way. He is not the first caddie to lose his job and he wont be the last. He is angry right now but he would get over it within time. He is now back in Butch Harmon's stable

Davie wrote:Steve Williams to TVNZ: "I’ve lost a tremendous amount of respect for [Woods]. Through time, I hope that he can gain my respect back."

Call me a cynic, but I see a book coming out very soon... "My life with Tiger" or "Betrayed by the Tiger", etc...

What about another poll:

If you were Tiger, "married" (more or less) to Elin, Stevie and Mark and you have to diverce two of these three, who would you choose to keep?

I can tell you that my choice doesn't match Tiger's !

Davie wrote:Just seen this on the twittersphere ...

Steve Williams to TVNZ: "I’ve lost a tremendous amount of respect for [Woods]. Through time, I hope that he can gain my respect back."

What a pompous jerk!

Yeah. That was one of the remarks where I did a big double-take and wondered if that's what I'd really heard. I'm sure TW is going all out to earn your respect back Stevie.

I'd say he was neither of the options personally. No caddy is they important to a golfer but he was a good fit for a long time with Tiger and they did seem somewhat of a "team".

Some reports suggest that Stevie boy pocketed $20m on the back of Tigers achievements as well as a sponsorship deal of his own. Not bad really for lumping a bag around and barking orders at cameramen and spectators.

I'd quite happily 'waste' 2 years of my life in return for what he has earned.

Not surprised at Steve's reaction at all, those of us who been through divorces that have been initiated by the other partner go through the anger he is displaying now.

To call him a gravy train riding leech is crass. When he took over Tiger's bag he was already one of the leading caddies and he honed those skills to an even higher level with Tiger, they both benefited from the teaming.

I can see both sides of this one, first and foremost, like him or loathe him Williams is a top notch caddy. He knows his stuff and was confident enough in his abilities to tell Tiger what he thought (many are assuming Tiger will go for a "yes man" on the bag next which I think would be a mistake.

I quite liked that anecdote a couple of weeks ago where Scott fretted over a shot, after discussion settled on his club, hit it and whilst the ball was in the air, looked anxiously at it saying "Go, go, be there, be there" at which point Williams grabbed the club off him (ball still in the air) and said..."Relax, it's there". The ball finished within 3 feet.

I don't think he's a leech at all and clearly he's no shrinking violet either so of course as a confident individual he's going to come across to many as arrogant, if Tiger thought that at any point in the past 12 years that he wasn't the best out there he'd have dumped him way before now. How many caddies have saw their man through more victories.

The flip side of the coin though is that he is...just the caddy. The golfer is the employer and the caddy the employee and as such has to do as he's told. It's beginning to sound like (despite the well spun niceties) that there has been a fundamental difference of opinion at some point recently.

Rangiora wrote:Not surprised at Steve's reaction at all, those of us who been through divorces that have been initiated by the other partner go through the anger he is displaying now.

To call him a gravy train riding leech is crass. When he took over Tiger's bag he was already one of the leading caddies and he honed those skills to an even higher level with Tiger, they both benefited from the teaming.

This is not a divorce. This is an employer saying "Thanks, but I think it's time for a change. I give you due notice etc etc". Williams appears to be giving it all this bleeding heart "...wasted two years..." "...been incredibly loyal..." "...stuck through him thick and thin...". Do me a favour.
You're right about the use of "leech" though. Perhaps a bit strong

JAS wrote:...The flip side of the coin though is that he is...just the caddy. The golfer is the employer and the caddy the employee and as such has to do as he's told.

Indeed. I think Stevie forgets who employed who here. What sort of person says "He'll have to earn my respect back now"? I can understand that TW might have said that he'll have to earn Williams' respect back but for Williams to be saying it smacks of absurd arrogance to me. Who does he think he is?

Oh dear, Steve Williams has just discovered that he wasn't a friend after all ... just an employee.

... and a bad tempered one at that.

If (and it's a big if) Tiger wants some sort of resurrection/recovery/redemption then he doesn't need any of Stevie's negativty near him

From what I have heard is, that Tiger sacked him for comments that he had made,(with Williams that not new) but no one seems to know what comments that he made, that upset Tiger that much, he felt he had no choice but to sack him???

Davie wrote:... and a bad tempered one at that.

If (and it's a big if) Tiger wants some sort of resurrection/recovery/redemption then he doesn't need any of Stevie's negativty near him

Yes, it was incredibly detrimental during their 13 major wins.

For you historians a question. Was Williams on Normans bag when he teed off with a 1 iron at the 18th in the 89 masters and bogeyed the hole to miss a playoff?

K@S wrote:For you historians a question. Was Williams on Normans bag when he teed off with a 1 iron at the 18th in the 89 masters and bogeyed the hole to miss a playoff?

And here pops up the 'historian'...
People argue that it was that episode that 'broke' the relationship with Norman... I think Williams's advice there was a 3-wood, which as it turned out, at least in theory, would have been a better choice.

You can have a look at this clip (somewhere between 7:00 and 7:15) where you'll see Williams's (younger) face for a second after Greg hits his second shot. I recall reading somewhere that he actually advised Norman also to use a 4-iron for the 2nd shot, but Greg picked a 5-iron, and ended up short, etc....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JhNjoYvhy8&playnext=1&list=PLCEEF761942AC023A

Princedracula
Thanks
Was it Williams who said he had given Norman different advice?
He does like to give advice that he doesn't seem to follow.
"Always remember that the player is the star; do not sign autographs or engage with the media; don’t ever get too close or become friends. You don’t travel to tournaments with your player or stay in the same place; there are certain boundaries that must never be crossed. "
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/paul_kimmage/article6078213.ece

[quote“I’m closer to Fanny than I am to my brother and sister,” Williams says.

Says it all really. ] taken from above article.

Williams IS working on a book.

pedro wrote:Williams IS working on a book.

I'm in shock!!!

K@S,
That's a great article about Steve and Fanny.
Whatever he says now or then, he should have recalibrated their relationship went hydrant-gate went down, should have realised things weren't how he might have thought they were.
But I don't think he'll be doing anyone any favours if he writes a tell-all book, least of all him.
If he's as good as he thinks he is, he'll have a better time with Adam Scott than he ever would doing book signings.

kwini
From what I have read he isn't in the process of writing a book but just letting the golfing world know that when the time is right he will do.
"Williams told the New York Post that he'd be writing a book once he was done with his career of holding the clubs of millionaires, and that the chapter on Tiger Woods would be one of the more interesting to read."
http://bayarea.sbnation.com/2011/7/23/2289276/steve-williams-book-tiger-woods
""You know, when I write my book, it'll be the time I decide what I write," Williams said. "It'll just be one of those interesting chapters in the book.""
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/tiger_former_caddie_says_scandal_zO3GdMW2pGSGVPnafCIceK

Interesting that FoxSports believe Williams was sacked after caddying for Scott, without Woods permission, after the AT&T event.
"But one source said Williams knew at the British Open that he had been relieved of his duties by Woods, but an agreement had been reached whereby the news wouldn’t be made public until after the major. That way, Scott would be spared intense media scrutiny."
http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/Tiger-Woods-Stevie-Williams-longtime-caddie-splitting-up-072011
Looks as though Woods has been looking for an excuse to "get rid".

Wasn't Steve Williams once New Zealand's highest paid 'sportsman' one year?

I'm sure I heard that.

djlovesyou wrote:Wasn't Steve Williams once New Zealand's highest paid 'sportsman' one year?

I'm sure I heard that.

I believe he was for a number of years thanks to his attachment to woods he raked i more than any other New Zealand sporting personality. I've never been one to love nor loathe Tiger but Williams a different kettle of fish entirely always loathed the man. In golf the voice and name known to public should be the player, the bag man is there to give advice, console if need be and help the player. He is not there to become a personality in his own right and become bigger than he is. Williams has done this with all the players he's carried for, he is in a position nearly all golfers that are not good enough to play the game for living would give a limb to be in.

On the course I don't think you can fault him for his ability as a caddy you only need look at Norman and Woods record with him to see that. However it's the way he allows his tongue to run away from him off the course and the attitude he display's. As for the Woods needs earn my respect back, how about shut the hell up gobby, that man needs offer you nothing he's put millions in your pockets so how about you show repsect for a man that has set you and your family up for life so how about respect for the dollars in your bank and who put them there as your employer.

He was always going to release a book to make more money off the back of someone else personal life. As for wsting 2 years of his life, well those 2 years will no doubt be the main talking point for his book and make it a best seller so again whats wasted for him he just got his new cash cow. Plus as an employee he has had every chance to tender his resignation but funnily enough he made plenty of money without Tiger winning in those 2 years.

Plus it's not like he's unemployed now is it now that he is confirmed as Adam Scott's bagman, and who saw that coming... Even Stevie Wonder could have seen that a mile off.....

Maverick wrote:...Even Stevie Wonder could have seen that a mile off.....

Odds on Steve Williams book being a best seller in sporting parlance??

No brainer !!